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Thomas and Mack Center
The Thomas & Mack Center is a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility which was completed in 1983 at a cost of nearly $30 million. The Thomas & Mack Center is one of the West's premier facilities located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Thomas & Mack Center was named for two prominent Las Vegas bankers, E. Parry Thomas and Jerome Mack, who established the original land foundation and donated $500,000 for feasibility studies and the initial architectural renderings. Originally designed as a sports venue to house the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, the focus and direction of the facility quickly changed in the preconstruction phases, allowing the facility to become multipurpose. In 1983, the facility had two major goals: 100 event days per year and one million guests. Today, the Thomas & Mack Center hosts more than 250 diverse and distinct events annually and nearly 15 million guests have passed through its doors. The facility has had championship boxing, the National Finals Rodeo, superstar concerts, major industrial shows, fun and exciting family productions, and a wide array of sporting events, from the NBA to Budweiser World Cup Horse Jumping. Over the past 20 years a variety of superstars and super-groups have performed at the facility, including Elton John, Billy Joel, U2, Van Halen, Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Dixie Chicks, Eric Clapton, Celine Dion, N’SYNC, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, Phish, Tina Turner, Guns n' Roses, and ZZ Top, to name a few The facility has hosted Disney on Ice, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Harlem Globetrotters, Barney, Sesame Street Live, Muppet Babies, The Wiggles, Mortal Kombat, The Power Rangers and numerous others. Home of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels and the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League, the Thomas & Mack Center also brings a variety of other sporting events to Las Vegas. The facility hosts championship boxing matches, the National Finals Rodeo, NBA or NHL pre-season exhibition games, WAC & Mountain West Basketball Tournaments, Champions On Ice, professional wrestling and tennis. The venue contributes significantly to the overall economic impact of Southern Nevada by providing jobs, generating sales tax and providing a facility for tourists and locals alike. Industry related trade publications regularly list the Thomas & Mack Center as one of the top venues in the country. Fast Facts *The Gala Grand Opening was held on December 16, 1983 and featured Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Diana Ross. *Maximum seating capacity is 19,522 for boxing and 18,776 for basketball. *Height from floor to ceiling is 104 feet. *There are 4500 on-site parking spaces and 6500 additional on-campus parking spaces. *The concourse is 42,000 square feet. *The floor is 8,600 square feet (bleachers extended) and 20,000 square feet (bleachers retracted). *The floor is evenly illuminated with 350 foot candles of metal Halide lighting. *The Center is cooled by 1,175 tons of air conditioning. *The Thomas & Mack Center has 30 VIP luxury suites. *The Thomas & Mack Center is only 1/2 mile from McCarran International Airport and less than 5 minutes from the famous Las Vegas Strip. *The largest attendance at an event was 20,321 at a basketball game featuring the UNLV Runnin' Rebels vs. Navy.